Electrolytic apparatus



HATOBLER.

ELECTROLYTIC APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8, I920.

mama Jam 7, 1921.

v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE.

nmmr Terms, or HACKENSAGK, new JERSEIYILAISSIGNOR To mn can nnqn comm,or, nmrwoon, NEW JERSEY, a conronarron or new Jnn'sny.

ELEGDBOLY'TIG APBABATUS.

Specificationoi. Letters Patent.

Patented. June '7, 1921.

To all may concern Be it known that I, HENRI ToBLnn, a citizen of theUnited States, nesidin at Hackensack, in the county of Bergen, tate ofNew Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements; inElectrolytic Apparatus and. I do hereby declare the followmg to beafull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains; to make and use thesame.

The apparatus of the present invention is suitable for the electrolysisof brine, as in producing hypochlorites, and is particularly suitable.for use on natural brines, such as those of Michigan and the Ohio riverval ley, when a halogen such as bromin is to be. recovered from thebrine by electrolytic oxidation followed by known methods of separation,purification and absorption.

-The apparatus: is so constructed that when bromin alone is the desiredhalogen, the electrolysis can be conducted in such a mannor as to have arecovery of brornin well above 95%. The apparatus is capable of exactregulation of electrical input to brine flow, so'that over-oxidation ofthe brine can be accurately gagcd to the needs of any par.-ticulan'brine; thus insuring complete liberation of all of the brominWithout the liberation of-more chlorin-than is useful in setting freethe brornin from its chemical compounds in the brine.

The apparatus is of simple and cheap construction; can be built instandard units easily interchangeable; can be assembled to suitthe'voltage of the source of electriclty, and any unit is readilyreplaceable at will if occasion should require;

The electrical elements are efiectively i nsulated, the brine containersand conduits are not subject to rapidjdestruction either ft'omelect'rolysis or otherwise, and all are adequatelyprotected againstleakage. The

electrodes and other surfaces subject to normal electrolytic corrosioncan be easily renewed with but short interruptions to the operation ofthe apparatus, and all of the working parts can be readily andthoroughly cleaned at the sediment which ordinarily.

collects in an apparatus used for the elec- @trolytic oxidation of anatural brine. a ,Infthe; accompanying drawing, there is ilzlustratedoneembodiment of the apparatus comprising miser es of containers eachadapted to serve as cathodsof an electrolytic cell, and eachpnovidedwith a. carbon anodepltefierably positioned concentric with the, contaner. Between each an9de; and its con,- tainer, the brine to beelectrolyzed is circulated. Pipes or conduits of non-conduct;- ingInaterial form tortuous pathsfrom one container to the next, so that thebrine undergoes progressive electrolysis in the sevr eral units-0r cellsof the apparatus, The nurnber of cells thus connected; together inseries can be proportioned to the voltage of the electrical energyconveniently available; but for a 115 to 125 volt direct current sup,-ply, ity is preferable to use 24 cells thus connected in series. Theseveral electrolytic Cells. being connected in electrical series are atdifi'erent electrical potentials, andthe quantity of current sentthrough, the series is proportioned to the degree of electrolysis oroxidation desirable with any particular brine. But for the liberation ofbromin from; its chemical combinations in; natural brines, such as thoseof Michigan and of the Ohio river valley, it is preferable to use acurrent density which will slightly. over.- electrolyze the brine so faras concerns its bromin content, or, in other words, will yield some freechlorin together with substantially all-of the bromin. The single figureof the drawing is an elevation partly in section oftwo units ofa seriesof electrolytic cells through which a bromin-bearing brine may be passedfor electrolytic oxidation preparatory to, recovery of the bromin fromthe brine.

Each unit or cell of the electrolytic apparatus illustrated in theaccompanying drawing as the preferred embodiment oflthe presentinvention, comprises a' container 1, which 'is of tubular shape,vertically disposed, 'andconsists of a. singleiron castin terminating atthe bottom in a tl irade culated in the desired direction; and can beelectrolyzed by current of suitable voltage passing from anode tocathoderthrough the brine. Each cast iron container is surmounted by aT-fittin 5 of tile, or like insulating material, with a calked belljoint6 between the tile and the metal container to insure a fluid-tightconnection which can be taken apart in case the apparatus is to berepaired. The tile fitting for the first container of the series isequipped with an inlet conduit 7 through which the raw brine is suppliedto the apparatus, this inlet being so arranged as to maintain a brinelevel throughout the apparatus well above all metal parts, as, forinstance, at the level indicated by a dotted line in the drawing.

At the bottom of fitting 1 and cast integrally therewith is an elboworextension 9, the lower leg of which is provided with a clean-out openingclosed by a plu 10, and theupper leg of which is connecte through abell-joint 11 with a pipe or conduit 12 of insulating material, suchas'tile pipe, which by means of a coupling 13 communicates with theinlet opening of the next tile fitting 5, thereby forming a tortuouspath for brine from the bottom of one container to the top of the next.This insures free circulation of the brine throughout the series ofelectrolytic cells, but limits to a negligible amount the leakage ofelectrical energy from one anode to more remote cathodes of the series.

Eachcarbonaceous anode is provided with an encircling spring-clip 14; tothe bolt of which is attached a cable 15 by which the electrical currentis supplied to the anode. Each cast iron cathode is provided with abinding-post 16 to which one of these cables 15 is connected, so thatdirect current enteringthe first anode 4 from the dynamo, or othersource of electrical energy, passes through the brine to the metalcontainer of the cell, and then out throu h cable 15 to the next anode,and so on t rou'ghout the entire series.

The chemical effect of electrolysis on a natural bromin-containing brineis, first, to liberate the bromin from its chemical combinations in thebrine, and, second, to liberate the chlorin from its chemicalcombinations, the voltage of decomposition being somewhat higher forchloride than for bromids. The free bromin remains for the most partmechanically absorbed in the brine, and .thefreechlorin will chemicallyreact on any unreduced' bromids in the brine to liberate an -equivalentquantity of free chlorids. Consequently, in the electrolysis of anatural brine in this apparatus, some of the re- :sulting free bromm maycome from electrolysis directl and some may come as a secondary pro uct,resulting from the electrolysis of brOInid. The apparatus illustrated inthe drawing is especially conducive to this secondary aiction, for anybubbles of chlorin liberated on the anode must pass upward through aconsiderable column of downwardl moving brine before they can escape att e surface of the brine. There is, therefore, good opportunity forintimate contact between the chlorin and the brine, and much of thechlorin therefore is used in desirable manner when freed bromin is theultimate product.

lnasmuch, however, as the current density may besuch as to liberate somefree chlorin and even some free bromin at the top of each column ofbrine I provide each tile fitting 5 with a removable wooden cover 17 toprevent the escape of these ases into the cell room. Also,there isprovided at the top of each of the conduits 12, a vent pipe 18, whichmay be a rubber hose leading toa hollow wooden log 19, whereby the gasesmay be conveyed away for use in any desired manner. The group ofelectrolytic cells are supported on a frame-work comprising tile pipes20 standing on end, with their bells down, surmounted bytimbers 21 onwhich are placed wooden beams 22 impregnated with asphalt, or otherwisetreated to render them more resistant to salt brine. Each cast ironcontainer 1 is provided on either side with an outwardly extendin andintegral foot 23 resting on the top 0 one of beams 22. And, similarly,each-extension or elbow 9 has an integral foot 24 on either side of itsbell end to rest on beam 22 This mode of mounting keeps all of theapparatus in roper position with the cathodes well insuated one fromanother. I find it advantageous to sometimes inclose the tile pipe 1S2,

and its coupling 13, in an envelop 25 of concrete cast about thesemembers after they have been installed in osition. This concrete, asshown in the rawing, coversand reinforces the joints of the tile pipeand rigidky anchors the pipe to the adjacent pipe 5. hen the joints arethus reinforced there is little or no danger of the escape oi gaseousbromin into the cell room, and all of the bromin freed from the brine iseither carried alon dissolved in the brine,or'escapes throug vent pipes18 into the-main pipe 19, from which It can be sucked out for useelsewhere in the system.

After the natural or other brine has thus been circulated through theapparatus and electrolyzed, and consequently oxidized to the desiredextent, it may be conveyed away to suitable apparatus for the separationof the bromin from the brine, for its purification from chlorin, and forits ultimate absorption in well known manner, to produce marketablebromin solutions,-'or salts recovered from such solutions, as, forinstance, sodium and potassium bromid.

I am aware that the form of the apparatus and its method of use hereinset forth may be varied in may particulars, and Icontemplate suchV3.Iia,tl0IlSaS reasonably come within the spirit of my invention, asabove described, and as defined by the claims appended hereto.

I claim 1. Electrolytic apparatus com rising a series of metalCOIItfllIlBI'S adapte to serve as cathodes at different electricalpotentials, means for circulating brine by a tortuous path from onecontainer to another, a carbon anode positioned in each container andabout which said brine. circulates during electrolysis each of saidcontainers having an integral extension with a clean-out opening throughwhich sediment deposited from the brine may be flushed out.

2. Electrolytic ap aratus comprising a series of vertical tu ular ironcontainers adapted to serve as cathodes at diflerent electricalpotentials, means for circulating brine by a tortuous path from onecontainer to another, a part of each tortuous path being ofnon-conducting material and the remainder bein%aof iron cast integralwith its cathode.

3. lectrolytic apparatus comprising a series of vertical cast ironcontainers adapted to serve as cathodes, means for circulating brine bya tortuous path from the lower part of one container into the upper partof the next container, a part of em path consistin of tile pipe andanother part consisting 0 iron 1pc cast integral with the adjacent cathoe.

4. Electrolytic apparatus comprising a series of vertlcal containersadapted to serve as cathodes at dilferent electrical potentials, aninsulating bushing at the bottom of each container, a carbon anodemounted in each bushin and about which brine may be circulate a tubularextension integral with said cathode and provided with a clean-outopening, and an msulatin pipe connected with said extension and wit theupper part of the next container to serve as a tortuous path for thecirculation of brine, substantially as described.

5. Electrolytic apparatus comprising a series of tubular cast ironcontainers adapted to serve as cathodes, a tile ipe surmounti eachcontainer, a pi e or circulating brine by a tortuous path cm the lowerpart of one container into the tile pipe which surmounts the nextcontainer, a carbon electrode in each container to form therewith anelectrol ic cell, means electrically connecting sai cells in series toprogressively electrolyze the brine as it passes through the series ofcontainers, and means for venting the tolp of each container.

6. lectrolytic apparatus com risin a plurality of vertical containers aapte to serve as cathodes in an electrical series, means for circulatingbrine .b a tortuous path from one container to anot er, an anodepositioned in each container about which said brine circulates duringelectrolysis, and gas exhaustin means above the brine level in eachcontalner to carry away gases liberated by electrolysis and not absorbedby the electrolyte.

7. Electrolytic apparatus comprisin a plurality of cast iron containersada to to serve as cathodes in an electrical serles and each providedwith supporting feet, a pair of timbers on which sald feet rest, anextension integral with each container and rovided with a clean-outopening, an ano e in each container, and means for circulating brine bya tortuous path from one container into the top of an adjacentcontainer, substantially as described.

8. Electrolytic apparatus comprising a series of metal containersadapted to serve as cathodes at difi'erent electrical potentials, meansfor circulatin brine by a tortuous path from one container to another, acarbon anode ositioned in each container and about whic said brinecirculates durin electrolysis, a pair of timbers on which sai containersare su ported, and means connecting said ano es and cathodes in seriesrelation, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

